Pieris plant named ‘Passion’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Pieris  plant named ‘Passion’, characterized by its upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching habit; large inflorescences with numerous red purple-colored flowers; developing inflorescences upright; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Pieris japonica.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Passion’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Pieris, botanically known as Pieris japonica, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Passion’.

The new Pieris is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Boskoop, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Pieris varieties having upright inflorescences and attractive flower color.

The new Pieris originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in March, 1988, in Boskoop, The Netherlands, of an unnamed seedling selection of Pieris japonica, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with the Pieris japonica cultivar Valley Valentine, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Pieris was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Boskoop, The Netherlands in March 1999.

Asexual reproduction of the new Pieris by cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Boskoop, The Netherlands since 2000 has shown that the unique features of this new Pieris are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new Pieris has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and/or light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype. The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Passion’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Passion’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Pieris:

-   -   1. Upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Large inflorescences with numerous red purple-colored         flowers.     -   4. Developing inflorescences upright.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Pieris differ from plants of the female parent selection primarily in flower color as plants of the female parent selection have white-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Pieris differ from plants of the male parent, the cultivar Valley Valentine, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Pieris develop roots more easily than         plants of the cultivar Valley Valentine.     -   2. Plants of the new Pieris are more freely branching than         plants of the cultivar Valley Valentine.     -   3. Inflorescences of plants of the new Pieris are more upright         than inflorescences of plants of the cultivar Valley Valentine.

Plants of the new Pieris can be compared to the plants of the Pieris cultivar Rosalinda, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Boskoop, The Netherlands, plants of the new Pieris differed from plants of the cultivar Rosalinda in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Developing leaves of plants of the new Pieris were light         green in color whereas developing leaves of plants of the         cultivar Rosalinda were brownish red in color.     -   2. Flowers of plants of the new Pieris were red purple in color         whereas flowers of plants of the cultivar Rosalinda were light         pink in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the Pieris. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this describe the colors of the new Pieris.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Passion’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical leaf of ‘Passion’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view of typical flowering stems of ‘Passion’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Boskoop, The Netherlands in 17-cm containers, in a glass-covered greenhouse during the winter and under commercial production conditions. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 7° C. to 16° C. and night temperatures ranged from 2° C. to 10° C. Plants used for the photographs and description were about four years old. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Pieris japonica ‘Passion’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed seedling selection of             Pieris japonica, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Pieris japonica cultivar Valley             Valentine, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About ten weeks at             temperatures of 18° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; light brown in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderate branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Perennial, evergreen; upright             and outwardly spreading plant habit; broad inverted             triangle. Moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit; about six lateral             branches develop per plant.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of flowers.—About 31 cm.         -   Plant diameter, area of spread.—About 21.2 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 10.1 cm. Diameter:             About 3 mm. Internode length: About 3 mm to 7 mm. Strength:             Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 143A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate or whorled at             terminals; simple. Length: About 5 cm. Width: About 1.7 cm.             Shape: Oblanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin:             Crenate. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Developing foliage, upper             and lower surfaces: 144A. Fully expanded foliage, upper             surface: Between 137A and 147A; venation, 143C. Fully             expanded foliage, lower surface: Between 143A and 144A;             venation, 144B. Petiole: Length: About 9 mm. Diameter: About             1 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Color, upper and lower surfaces: 144B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and appearance.—Single urceolate flowers             arranged on terminal paniculate racemes. Developing             inflorescences initially upright then bending with the             weight of developing flowers. Freely flowering habit; about             135 flowers develop per inflorescence during the flowering             period.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants of the new Pieris typically             flower in March in The Netherlands. Flowers not persistent.         -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about two weeks on             the plant.         -   Fragrance.—Sweet, pleasant.         -   Inflorescence length.—About 7.5 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 10.4 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 7 mm.         -   Flower depth.—About 7 cm.         -   Flower bud.—Length: About 6 mm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Shape:             Ovoid. Color: 187C; towards the apex, 187A.         -   Petals.—Arrangement: Single urceolate flower form; single             whorl of five petals fused at the base. Length: About 7 mm.             Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Roughly ovate with obtuse apex.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: When opening, upper surface: 185C; towards             the base, 155A. When opening, lower surface: 59B; towards             the base, 155C. Fully opened, upper surface: 185C to 185D;             towards the base, 155A. Fully opened, lower surface: 60B;             color becoming closer to 60C to 60D with development;             towards the base, 155C.         -   Sepals.—Arrangement: Five fused in a single whorl. Length:             About 3 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acute.             Base: Broadly cuneate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: Immature, upper and lower surfaces:             187A. Mature, lower surface: 145C to 145D.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 9.1 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.             Angle: Initially upright to about 80° from vertical.             Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: 200C.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 4.5 mm. Diameter: Less than 1 mm.             Angle: About 50° from vertical. Strength: Moderately strong.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 183A to 183B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Quantity per flower: About             ten. Anther shape: Roughly oval. Anther length: About 1 mm.             Anther color: 200A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color:             Close to N167C. Gynoecium: Quantity of pistils per flower:             Typically one. Pistil length: About 5 mm. Style length:             About 4.5 mm. Style color: 145D. Stigma shape: Narrowly             club-shaped. Stigma diameter: Less than 1 mm. Stigma color:             Close to 144B. Ovary color: 143A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Pieris have been observed to     have good garden performance and to be tolerant to rain and wind and     temperatures from about −15° C. to about 33° C. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants have not been observed to be     resistant to pathogens and pests common to Pieris. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Pieris plant named ‘Passion’ as illustrated and described. 